Unusual strain of flu from Mexico
- Thread starter a_majoor
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Canadians told to be on alert for Mexico illness
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/04/23/9220936.html
More at link.
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/04/23/9220936.html
More at link.
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WHO convenes emergency meeting on swine flu crisis
Article Link
The head of the World Health Organization has convened an emergency meeting at the agency's headquarters to determine if it's necessary to raise the pandemic alert level, as officials work to contain a deadly swine flu outbreak that may have killed more than 60 people in Mexico.
Margaret Chan cut short a visit to Washington and returned to the WHO's Strategic Health Operation Center in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday, and was immediately briefed on the latest developments.
At least 62 people have died in Mexico from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness, WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl said.
Mexican officials put the death toll at 68, with 20 confirmed to be linked to the new swine flu strain, known as A H1N1.
The strain has not been previously diagnosed in either pigs or humans and appears to spread easily from human to human.
More than 1,000 people in Mexico have fallen ill, sparking concerns of a pending public health crisis.
More at link
Article Link
The head of the World Health Organization has convened an emergency meeting at the agency's headquarters to determine if it's necessary to raise the pandemic alert level, as officials work to contain a deadly swine flu outbreak that may have killed more than 60 people in Mexico.
Margaret Chan cut short a visit to Washington and returned to the WHO's Strategic Health Operation Center in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday, and was immediately briefed on the latest developments.
At least 62 people have died in Mexico from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness, WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl said.
Mexican officials put the death toll at 68, with 20 confirmed to be linked to the new swine flu strain, known as A H1N1.
The strain has not been previously diagnosed in either pigs or humans and appears to spread easily from human to human.
More than 1,000 people in Mexico have fallen ill, sparking concerns of a pending public health crisis.
More at link
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I got an internal bulletin yesterday. We've been put on notice.
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Ontario Government...we [they] have pandemic threat levels.
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Been there, done that.
During SARS, Toronto's 850 paramedics had 1,166 potential SARS exposures; 436 were placed in a 10-day home quarantine, which meant being isolated from those persons within the home, continuously wearing an N95 respirator, and taking their temperature twice a day. SARS-like illnesses developed in 62 paramedics, and suspected or probable SARS requiring hospitalization developed in 4 others. On March 26, almost all of the frontline staff of the city's northeast quadrant were sent home because of possible SARS exposure at a Toronto hospital. On May 22, when the outbreak's second phase began, 200 paramedics had contact with patients with SARS and were quarantined.
During SARS, Toronto's 850 paramedics had 1,166 potential SARS exposures; 436 were placed in a 10-day home quarantine, which meant being isolated from those persons within the home, continuously wearing an N95 respirator, and taking their temperature twice a day. SARS-like illnesses developed in 62 paramedics, and suspected or probable SARS requiring hospitalization developed in 4 others. On March 26, almost all of the frontline staff of the city's northeast quadrant were sent home because of possible SARS exposure at a Toronto hospital. On May 22, when the outbreak's second phase began, 200 paramedics had contact with patients with SARS and were quarantined.
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WHO calls swine flu outbreak a health emergency
Article Link
Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova told a news conference Saturday evening that 20 deaths have been confirmed to be from the swine flu outbreak and another 1,324 have likely been sick from the virus since April 13.
He added that the virus may have killed at least 81 people in Mexico, but not all the deaths have been confirmed to be from the virus, known as A H1N1.
On Saturday evening, the New York Times reported that eight high school students in New York have likely contacted the virus after visiting Mexico.
Earlier on Saturday, the World Health Organization is calling the swine flu outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" but has decided to hold off on raising the global pandemic alert level.
Gregory Hartl, a spokesperson for the WHO, said Saturday the threat level will stay at its current Phase 3 until the organization gets a clearer picture at what is going on.
More on link
I think some people at NDMC may be happy that we carried out fit-testing for N-95 masks back in November.....
Article Link
Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova told a news conference Saturday evening that 20 deaths have been confirmed to be from the swine flu outbreak and another 1,324 have likely been sick from the virus since April 13.
He added that the virus may have killed at least 81 people in Mexico, but not all the deaths have been confirmed to be from the virus, known as A H1N1.
On Saturday evening, the New York Times reported that eight high school students in New York have likely contacted the virus after visiting Mexico.
Earlier on Saturday, the World Health Organization is calling the swine flu outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" but has decided to hold off on raising the global pandemic alert level.
Gregory Hartl, a spokesperson for the WHO, said Saturday the threat level will stay at its current Phase 3 until the organization gets a clearer picture at what is going on.
More on link
I think some people at NDMC may be happy that we carried out fit-testing for N-95 masks back in November.....
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I should add that during SARS, even though most of Toronto's Paramedics were under quarantine, ambulance coverage was never really compromised. Nor will it be when the next pandemic strikes.
Section 45:17 of our collective agreement calls for a "working quarantine". That is you work for double time, then go home to your basement and quarantine yourself until your next shift.
Section 45:17 of our collective agreement calls for a "working quarantine". That is you work for double time, then go home to your basement and quarantine yourself until your next shift.
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Hmm.....my ex-girlfriend's parents just got back from their annual winter retreat to Mexico.
Perhaps the mother should be put to death and her body thrown on a bonfire -- you know, as a preventative measure.
Hey, I'm just concerned about the good of society here. I'm that caring! :nod:
Perhaps the mother should be put to death and her body thrown on a bonfire -- you know, as a preventative measure.
Hey, I'm just concerned about the good of society here. I'm that caring! :nod:
- Reaction score
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The director of the Anthropology Museum Felix Solis met Obama when he visited Mexico City and died of flu complications the following day. No doubt Obama is being treated with tamiflu just in case. The death toll in Mexico is 81 now serious,but hardly a pandemic.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aEsNownABJ6Q&refer=worldwide
By Thomas Black
April 25 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared an emergency in his country’s swine flu outbreak, giving him powers to order quarantines and suspend public events.
Authorities have canceled school at all levels in Mexico City and the state of Mexico until further notice, and the government has shut most public and government activities in the area. The emergency decree, published today in the state gazette, gives the president authority to take more action.
“The federal government under my charge will not hesitate a moment to take all, all the measures necessary to respond with efficiency and opportunity to this respiratory epidemic,” Calderon said today during a speech to inaugurate a hospital in the southern state of Oaxaca.
At least 20 deaths in Mexico from the disease are confirmed, Health Minister Jose Cordova said yesterday. The strain is a variant of H1N1 swine influenza that has also sickened at least eight people in California and Texas. As many as 68 deaths may be attributed to the virus in Mexico, and about 1,000 people in the Mexico City area are showing symptoms of the illness, Cordoba said.
Obama’s Visit
The first case was seen in Mexico on April 13. The outbreak coincided with the President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico City on April 16. Obama was received at Mexico’s anthropology museum in Mexico City by Felipe Solis, a distinguished archeologist who died the following day from symptoms similar to flu, Reforma newspaper reported. The newspaper didn’t confirm if Solis had swine flu or not.
The Mexican government is distributing breathing masks to curtail the disease’s spread. There is no vaccine against the new strain of swine flu, health authorities said.
Museums, theaters and other venues in the Mexico City area, where large crowds gather, have shut down voluntarily and concerts and other events canceled to help contain the disease. Two professional soccer games will be played tomorrow in different Mexico City stadiums without any fans, El Universal newspaper reported. Catholic masses will be held, the newspaper said, although church officials urged worshipers to wear breath masks and to avoid contact.
Schools will likely remain closed next week, Calderon said in the Oaxaca speech. The decree allows Calderon to regulate transportation, enter any home or building for inspection, order quarantines and assign any task to all federal, state and local authorities as well as health professionals to combat the disease.
“The health of Mexicans is a cause that we’re defending with unity and responsibility,” Calderon said. “I know that although it’s a grave problem, a serious problem, we’re going to overcome it.”
Normal Airport Operations
Mexico City’s international airport, which handles about 70,000 passengers each day, is operating normally, said Victor Mejia, a spokesman. Passengers are given a questionnaire asking if they have flu symptoms and recommending they cancel their trip and see a doctor if they do. The measures are voluntary, Mejia said, and no case of swine flu in airport passengers, workers or visitors has been confirmed.
Authorities throughout Central America have issued alerts to prevent the outbreak from spreading. Guatemala ordered tighter control yesterday of its northern border with Mexico, according to EFE. Gerberth Morales, who’s heading the Guatemala government’s response, said no cases of swine flu have been reported in his country, the Spanish news agency reported.
Brazil is intensifying vigilance in ports, airports and borders to check travelers’ health, luggage, aircrafts and ships in a preventive action against the outbreak in Mexico, the Agency for Sanitary Vigilance said on its Web site.
To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Black in Monterrey at tblack@bloomberg.net
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aEsNownABJ6Q&refer=worldwide
By Thomas Black
April 25 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared an emergency in his country’s swine flu outbreak, giving him powers to order quarantines and suspend public events.
Authorities have canceled school at all levels in Mexico City and the state of Mexico until further notice, and the government has shut most public and government activities in the area. The emergency decree, published today in the state gazette, gives the president authority to take more action.
“The federal government under my charge will not hesitate a moment to take all, all the measures necessary to respond with efficiency and opportunity to this respiratory epidemic,” Calderon said today during a speech to inaugurate a hospital in the southern state of Oaxaca.
At least 20 deaths in Mexico from the disease are confirmed, Health Minister Jose Cordova said yesterday. The strain is a variant of H1N1 swine influenza that has also sickened at least eight people in California and Texas. As many as 68 deaths may be attributed to the virus in Mexico, and about 1,000 people in the Mexico City area are showing symptoms of the illness, Cordoba said.
Obama’s Visit
The first case was seen in Mexico on April 13. The outbreak coincided with the President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico City on April 16. Obama was received at Mexico’s anthropology museum in Mexico City by Felipe Solis, a distinguished archeologist who died the following day from symptoms similar to flu, Reforma newspaper reported. The newspaper didn’t confirm if Solis had swine flu or not.
The Mexican government is distributing breathing masks to curtail the disease’s spread. There is no vaccine against the new strain of swine flu, health authorities said.
Museums, theaters and other venues in the Mexico City area, where large crowds gather, have shut down voluntarily and concerts and other events canceled to help contain the disease. Two professional soccer games will be played tomorrow in different Mexico City stadiums without any fans, El Universal newspaper reported. Catholic masses will be held, the newspaper said, although church officials urged worshipers to wear breath masks and to avoid contact.
Schools will likely remain closed next week, Calderon said in the Oaxaca speech. The decree allows Calderon to regulate transportation, enter any home or building for inspection, order quarantines and assign any task to all federal, state and local authorities as well as health professionals to combat the disease.
“The health of Mexicans is a cause that we’re defending with unity and responsibility,” Calderon said. “I know that although it’s a grave problem, a serious problem, we’re going to overcome it.”
Normal Airport Operations
Mexico City’s international airport, which handles about 70,000 passengers each day, is operating normally, said Victor Mejia, a spokesman. Passengers are given a questionnaire asking if they have flu symptoms and recommending they cancel their trip and see a doctor if they do. The measures are voluntary, Mejia said, and no case of swine flu in airport passengers, workers or visitors has been confirmed.
Authorities throughout Central America have issued alerts to prevent the outbreak from spreading. Guatemala ordered tighter control yesterday of its northern border with Mexico, according to EFE. Gerberth Morales, who’s heading the Guatemala government’s response, said no cases of swine flu have been reported in his country, the Spanish news agency reported.
Brazil is intensifying vigilance in ports, airports and borders to check travelers’ health, luggage, aircrafts and ships in a preventive action against the outbreak in Mexico, the Agency for Sanitary Vigilance said on its Web site.
To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Black in Monterrey at tblack@bloomberg.net
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For those of us who have a black sense of humour, see how YOU would do as a virus, bacteria or parasite
Yrys
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
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Six confirmed cases of swine flu in Canada - in B.C. and N.S.
OTTAWA - Swine flu has entered Canada with a whimper but public-health authorities warn
that a half-dozen mild cases reported in Nova Scotia and British Columbia could give way to
a more serious outbreak. All the Canadian illnesses are linked to Mexican travel, although
the cases announced Sunday have been so innocuous that none of the patients in Nova Scotia
or B.C. even required hospitalization.
That doesn't mean the bug will remain mild, federal authorities warned as they cast a wary
glance at the scores of deaths in Mexico caused by the virus. Federal officials said they have
already begun discussions with drug companies about producing a new vaccine, amid fears
that existing treatments would fail to resist the virus.
David Butler-Jones, the chief public health officer for the federal government, noted that the
first patients may have had mild flu symptoms but he cautioned against complacency. "It
doesn't mean we won't see either more severe illness or, potentially, deaths," he said.
"There's many reasons to treat this seriously. No one should lull themselves into thinking
that everything's just fine because it's a relatively mild disease."
Canadian government scientists helped identify the virus. Their Mexican counterparts
contacted them by email with concerns on April 17 and they conducted tests at Winnipeg's
national microbiology lab.
Fears of a pandemic quickly rippled across the globe. There were 20 cases reported in the
U.S. in states ranging from California to New York; there were 10 suspected positive tests
in New Zealand from students who recently went to Mexico; Russia even banned meat
imports from Mexico, although health experts say it's unlikely the virus would be transmitted
through food.
Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said she's been in touch with her provincial counterparts
and has ordered the Public Health Agency of Canada to alert border authorities, quarantine officers
and other officials. Customs agents at airports are on the lookout for anyone with flu-like symptoms
and have already pulled aside two arriving passengers and sent them to be examined.
Air Canada and Westjet both announced Sunday they would waive fees for anyone seeking to change
their Mexican flight plans between now and April 30.
For the time being, however, Aglukkaq urged the general public to concentrate on "important but very
simple precautions."They include the standard advice for people to wash their hands frequently, cover
their mouths and noses when they cough or sneeze and stay home and avoid contact with others if
they feel ill. The minister also advised anyone who has recently visited Mexico and developed flu-like
symptoms to see a doctor without delay.
In Vancouver, Dr. Danuta Skowronski, of B.C.'s Centre for Disease Control, told reporters that so far
there is no sign in Canada of the severe respiratory illness that Mexico has been grappling with.
Skowronski said the two people on the B.C. Lower Mainland who have contracted the flu have been
asked to "self-isolate" but have not been quarantined.
Twenty-one people at a private school in rural Nova Scotia were placed in quarantine after a trip
to Mexico, which included a cultural and music exchange in the southern Yucatan Peninsula.
Four teenagers at King's-Edgehill School were diagnosed as some of Canada's first swine-flu
patients. The children reported fatigue, muscle aches and coughing, but nothing out of the ordinary
for a flu-sufferer. Only one of those sick students had actually been to Mexico. The school placed
the 17 children in its medical facility, while two teachers joined them there and two other teachers
were forced to remain home.
Nova Scotia's chief public health officer said the four "very mild" cases of swine flu were detected
in students ranging in age from 12 to 17 or 18. All are recovering, he said. "It was acquired in
Mexico, brought home and spread," said Dr. Robert Strang.
Because swine flu is so new, most laboratories don't have tests to identify them, and they show up
as untypeable influenza A when tests are run.
Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon told a national news agency the federal cabinet has set up
an operations committee and has been monitoring the swine flu situation closely. Foreign Affairs
has posted information on its website on the health situation in Mexico but is not telling Canadians
to stay away from the country. More than one million Canadians travel to Mexico each year, and
about 600,000 Mexicans visit Canada.
The federal government has a telephone hotline and websites for information about the virus.
The phone number is 1-800-454-8302, and the websites are www.fightflu.ca, www.voyage.ca and www.phac.gc.ca.
OTTAWA - Swine flu has entered Canada with a whimper but public-health authorities warn
that a half-dozen mild cases reported in Nova Scotia and British Columbia could give way to
a more serious outbreak. All the Canadian illnesses are linked to Mexican travel, although
the cases announced Sunday have been so innocuous that none of the patients in Nova Scotia
or B.C. even required hospitalization.
That doesn't mean the bug will remain mild, federal authorities warned as they cast a wary
glance at the scores of deaths in Mexico caused by the virus. Federal officials said they have
already begun discussions with drug companies about producing a new vaccine, amid fears
that existing treatments would fail to resist the virus.
David Butler-Jones, the chief public health officer for the federal government, noted that the
first patients may have had mild flu symptoms but he cautioned against complacency. "It
doesn't mean we won't see either more severe illness or, potentially, deaths," he said.
"There's many reasons to treat this seriously. No one should lull themselves into thinking
that everything's just fine because it's a relatively mild disease."
Canadian government scientists helped identify the virus. Their Mexican counterparts
contacted them by email with concerns on April 17 and they conducted tests at Winnipeg's
national microbiology lab.
Fears of a pandemic quickly rippled across the globe. There were 20 cases reported in the
U.S. in states ranging from California to New York; there were 10 suspected positive tests
in New Zealand from students who recently went to Mexico; Russia even banned meat
imports from Mexico, although health experts say it's unlikely the virus would be transmitted
through food.
Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said she's been in touch with her provincial counterparts
and has ordered the Public Health Agency of Canada to alert border authorities, quarantine officers
and other officials. Customs agents at airports are on the lookout for anyone with flu-like symptoms
and have already pulled aside two arriving passengers and sent them to be examined.
Air Canada and Westjet both announced Sunday they would waive fees for anyone seeking to change
their Mexican flight plans between now and April 30.
For the time being, however, Aglukkaq urged the general public to concentrate on "important but very
simple precautions."They include the standard advice for people to wash their hands frequently, cover
their mouths and noses when they cough or sneeze and stay home and avoid contact with others if
they feel ill. The minister also advised anyone who has recently visited Mexico and developed flu-like
symptoms to see a doctor without delay.
In Vancouver, Dr. Danuta Skowronski, of B.C.'s Centre for Disease Control, told reporters that so far
there is no sign in Canada of the severe respiratory illness that Mexico has been grappling with.
Skowronski said the two people on the B.C. Lower Mainland who have contracted the flu have been
asked to "self-isolate" but have not been quarantined.
Twenty-one people at a private school in rural Nova Scotia were placed in quarantine after a trip
to Mexico, which included a cultural and music exchange in the southern Yucatan Peninsula.
Four teenagers at King's-Edgehill School were diagnosed as some of Canada's first swine-flu
patients. The children reported fatigue, muscle aches and coughing, but nothing out of the ordinary
for a flu-sufferer. Only one of those sick students had actually been to Mexico. The school placed
the 17 children in its medical facility, while two teachers joined them there and two other teachers
were forced to remain home.
Nova Scotia's chief public health officer said the four "very mild" cases of swine flu were detected
in students ranging in age from 12 to 17 or 18. All are recovering, he said. "It was acquired in
Mexico, brought home and spread," said Dr. Robert Strang.
Because swine flu is so new, most laboratories don't have tests to identify them, and they show up
as untypeable influenza A when tests are run.
Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon told a national news agency the federal cabinet has set up
an operations committee and has been monitoring the swine flu situation closely. Foreign Affairs
has posted information on its website on the health situation in Mexico but is not telling Canadians
to stay away from the country. More than one million Canadians travel to Mexico each year, and
about 600,000 Mexicans visit Canada.
The federal government has a telephone hotline and websites for information about the virus.
The phone number is 1-800-454-8302, and the websites are www.fightflu.ca, www.voyage.ca and www.phac.gc.ca.
- Reaction score
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- Points
- 60
Tamiflu is not prophylactic. Giving it to Obama when he has no symptoms is useless. It will not hurt him, but if he has no influenza virus in his body, your wasting the medication.
Edited to add:
Sorry, I guess the rules have changed for the administration of Tamiflu. It is prophylactic.."Tamiflu could prevent the flu onset even if the patient has been exposed to someone who suffers from it." as per http://www.tamiflu.com/treat.aspx
Edited to add:
Sorry, I guess the rules have changed for the administration of Tamiflu. It is prophylactic.."Tamiflu could prevent the flu onset even if the patient has been exposed to someone who suffers from it." as per http://www.tamiflu.com/treat.aspx
Yrys
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 430
Q&A: What is swine flu?. BBC News, 27 april
Infection control experts are scrambling to respond to outbreaks of swine flu
in Mexico and the US, and suspected cases elsewhere.
What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A which infects pigs.
There are many types, and the infection is constantly changing. Until now it has
not normally infected humans, but the latest form clearly does, and can be spread
from person to person - probably through coughing and sneezing.
What is new about this type of swine flu?
The World Health Organization has confirmed that at least some of the human cases
are a never-before-seen version of the H1N1 strain of influenza type A. H1N1 is the
same strain which causes seasonal outbreaks of flu in humans on a regular basis.
But this latest version of H1N1 is different: it contains genetic material that is typically
found in strains of the virus that affect humans, birds and swine.
Flu viruses have the ability to swap genetic components with each other, and it seems
likely that the new version of H1N1 resulted from a mixing of different versions of the
virus, which may usually affect different species, in the same animal host. Pigs provide
an excellent 'melting pot' for these viruses to mix and match with each other.
How dangerous is it?
Symptoms of swine flu in humans appear to be similar to those produced by standard,
seasonal flu. These include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue.
Most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild, but in Mexico lives have
been lost.
How worried should people be?
When any new strain of flu emerges that acquires the ability to pass from person to person,
it is monitored very closely in case it has the potential to spark a global epidemic, or pandemic.
The World Health Organization has warned that taken together the Mexican and US cases could
potentially trigger a global pandemic, and stress that the situation is serious. However, experts
say it is still too early to accurately assess the situation fully. Currently, they say the world is
closer to a flu pandemic than at any point since 1968 - rating the threat at three on a six-point
scale.
Nobody knows the full potential impact of a pandemic, but experts have warned that it could cost
millions of lives worldwide. The Spanish flu pandemic, which began in 1918, and was also caused
by an H1N1 strain, killed millions of people.
The fact that all the cases in the US have so far produced mild symptoms is encouraging. It suggests
that the severity of the Mexican outbreak may be due to an unusual geographically-specific factor -
possibly a second unrelated virus circulating in the community - which would be unlikely to come into
play in the rest of the world. Alternatively, people infected in Mexico may have sought treatment at
a much later stage than those in other countries.
It may also be the case that the form of the virus circulating in Mexico is subtly different to that
elsewhere - although that will only be confirmed by laboratory analysis. There is also hope that,
as humans are often exposed to forms of H1N1 through seasonal flu, our immune systems may
have something of a head start in fighting infection.
However, the fact that many of the victims are young does point to something unusual. Normal,
seasonal flu tends to affect the elderly disproportionately.
Can the virus be contained?
The virus appears already to have started to spread around the world, and most experts believe that
containment of the virus in the era of readily available air travel will be extremely difficult.
Can it be treated?
The US authorities say that two drugs commonly used to treat flu, Tamiflu and Relenza, seem to be
effective at treating cases that have occurred there so far. However, the drugs must be administered
at an early stage to be effective. Use of these drugs may also make it less likely that infected people
will pass the virus on to others.
The UK Government already has a stockpile of Tamiflu, ordered as a precaution against a pandemic.
It is unclear how effective currently available flu vaccines would be at offering protection against the
new strain, as it is genetically distinct from other flu strains.
US scientists are already developing a bespoke new vaccine, but it may take some time to perfect it,
and manufacture enough supplies to meet what could be huge demand.
A vaccine was used to protect humans from a version of swine flu in the US in 1976. However, it
caused serious side effects, including an estimated 500 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome. There were
more deaths from the vaccine than the outbreak.
What should I do to stay safe?
Anyone with flu-like symptoms who might have been in contact with the swine virus - such as those
living or travelling in the areas of Mexico that have been affected - should seek medical advice.
But patients are being asked not to go into doctors surgeries in order to minimise the risk of spreading
the disease to others. Instead, they should stay at home and call their healthcare provider for advice.
Although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office says people "should be aware" of the outbreak, it is
not currently advising people against travelling to affected areas of Mexico and the US.
What measures can I take to prevent infection?
Avoid close contact with people who appear unwell and who have fever and cough.
General infection control practices and good hygiene can help to reduce transmission of all viruses,
including the human swine influenza. This includes covering your nose and mouth when coughing or
sneezing, using a tissue when possible and disposing of it promptly.
It is also important to wash your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the
virus from your hands to face or to other people and cleaning hard surfaces like door handles
frequently using a normal cleaning product.
If caring for someone with a flu-like illness, a mask can be worn to cover the nose and mouth
to reduce the risk of transmission. The UK is looking at increasing its stockpile of masks for
healthcare workers for this reason.
But experts say there is no scientific evidence to support more general wearing of masks to guard
against infections.
Is it safe to eat pig meat?
Yes. There is no evidence that swine flu can be transmitted through eating meat from infected
animals. However, it is essential to cook meat properly. A temperature of 70C (158F) would be
sure to kill the virus.
What about bird flu?
The strain of bird flu which has caused scores of human deaths in South East Asia in recent years
is a different strain to that responsible for the current outbreak of swine flu.
The latest form of swine flu is a new type of the H1N1 strain, while bird, or avian flu, is H5N1.
Experts fear H5N1 hold the potential to trigger a pandemic because of its ability to mutate rapidy.
However, up until now it has remained very much a disease of birds.
Those humans who have been infected have, without exception, worked closely with birds, and cases
of human-to-human transmission are extremely rare - there is no suggestion that H5N1 has gained
the ability to pass easily from person to person.
Infection control experts are scrambling to respond to outbreaks of swine flu
in Mexico and the US, and suspected cases elsewhere.
What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A which infects pigs.
There are many types, and the infection is constantly changing. Until now it has
not normally infected humans, but the latest form clearly does, and can be spread
from person to person - probably through coughing and sneezing.
What is new about this type of swine flu?
The World Health Organization has confirmed that at least some of the human cases
are a never-before-seen version of the H1N1 strain of influenza type A. H1N1 is the
same strain which causes seasonal outbreaks of flu in humans on a regular basis.
But this latest version of H1N1 is different: it contains genetic material that is typically
found in strains of the virus that affect humans, birds and swine.
Flu viruses have the ability to swap genetic components with each other, and it seems
likely that the new version of H1N1 resulted from a mixing of different versions of the
virus, which may usually affect different species, in the same animal host. Pigs provide
an excellent 'melting pot' for these viruses to mix and match with each other.
How dangerous is it?
Symptoms of swine flu in humans appear to be similar to those produced by standard,
seasonal flu. These include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue.
Most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild, but in Mexico lives have
been lost.
How worried should people be?
When any new strain of flu emerges that acquires the ability to pass from person to person,
it is monitored very closely in case it has the potential to spark a global epidemic, or pandemic.
The World Health Organization has warned that taken together the Mexican and US cases could
potentially trigger a global pandemic, and stress that the situation is serious. However, experts
say it is still too early to accurately assess the situation fully. Currently, they say the world is
closer to a flu pandemic than at any point since 1968 - rating the threat at three on a six-point
scale.
Nobody knows the full potential impact of a pandemic, but experts have warned that it could cost
millions of lives worldwide. The Spanish flu pandemic, which began in 1918, and was also caused
by an H1N1 strain, killed millions of people.
The fact that all the cases in the US have so far produced mild symptoms is encouraging. It suggests
that the severity of the Mexican outbreak may be due to an unusual geographically-specific factor -
possibly a second unrelated virus circulating in the community - which would be unlikely to come into
play in the rest of the world. Alternatively, people infected in Mexico may have sought treatment at
a much later stage than those in other countries.
It may also be the case that the form of the virus circulating in Mexico is subtly different to that
elsewhere - although that will only be confirmed by laboratory analysis. There is also hope that,
as humans are often exposed to forms of H1N1 through seasonal flu, our immune systems may
have something of a head start in fighting infection.
However, the fact that many of the victims are young does point to something unusual. Normal,
seasonal flu tends to affect the elderly disproportionately.
Can the virus be contained?
The virus appears already to have started to spread around the world, and most experts believe that
containment of the virus in the era of readily available air travel will be extremely difficult.
Can it be treated?
The US authorities say that two drugs commonly used to treat flu, Tamiflu and Relenza, seem to be
effective at treating cases that have occurred there so far. However, the drugs must be administered
at an early stage to be effective. Use of these drugs may also make it less likely that infected people
will pass the virus on to others.
The UK Government already has a stockpile of Tamiflu, ordered as a precaution against a pandemic.
It is unclear how effective currently available flu vaccines would be at offering protection against the
new strain, as it is genetically distinct from other flu strains.
US scientists are already developing a bespoke new vaccine, but it may take some time to perfect it,
and manufacture enough supplies to meet what could be huge demand.
A vaccine was used to protect humans from a version of swine flu in the US in 1976. However, it
caused serious side effects, including an estimated 500 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome. There were
more deaths from the vaccine than the outbreak.
What should I do to stay safe?
Anyone with flu-like symptoms who might have been in contact with the swine virus - such as those
living or travelling in the areas of Mexico that have been affected - should seek medical advice.
But patients are being asked not to go into doctors surgeries in order to minimise the risk of spreading
the disease to others. Instead, they should stay at home and call their healthcare provider for advice.
Although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office says people "should be aware" of the outbreak, it is
not currently advising people against travelling to affected areas of Mexico and the US.
What measures can I take to prevent infection?
Avoid close contact with people who appear unwell and who have fever and cough.
General infection control practices and good hygiene can help to reduce transmission of all viruses,
including the human swine influenza. This includes covering your nose and mouth when coughing or
sneezing, using a tissue when possible and disposing of it promptly.
It is also important to wash your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the
virus from your hands to face or to other people and cleaning hard surfaces like door handles
frequently using a normal cleaning product.
If caring for someone with a flu-like illness, a mask can be worn to cover the nose and mouth
to reduce the risk of transmission. The UK is looking at increasing its stockpile of masks for
healthcare workers for this reason.
But experts say there is no scientific evidence to support more general wearing of masks to guard
against infections.
Is it safe to eat pig meat?
Yes. There is no evidence that swine flu can be transmitted through eating meat from infected
animals. However, it is essential to cook meat properly. A temperature of 70C (158F) would be
sure to kill the virus.
What about bird flu?
The strain of bird flu which has caused scores of human deaths in South East Asia in recent years
is a different strain to that responsible for the current outbreak of swine flu.
The latest form of swine flu is a new type of the H1N1 strain, while bird, or avian flu, is H5N1.
Experts fear H5N1 hold the potential to trigger a pandemic because of its ability to mutate rapidy.
However, up until now it has remained very much a disease of birds.
Those humans who have been infected have, without exception, worked closely with birds, and cases
of human-to-human transmission are extremely rare - there is no suggestion that H5N1 has gained
the ability to pass easily from person to person.
Yrys
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 430
Have Your Say map: Swine flu, BBC News
Governments around the world are hurrying to contain the spread of a new swine flu virus after
outbreaks were reported in Mexico, the US and Canada.
At least 100 people are now suspected to have died of the disease in Mexico.
Use this map to explore the swine flu outbreak in video, audio, pictures and text.
Swine flu outbreak in maps
Fears of a flu pandemic are growing as the number of confirmed cases around the world
continues to rise.
In Mexico - where the outbreak began - there are now 26 confirmed cases. Some reports
say as many as 149 people may have died from swine flu, but WHO officials put the figure
much lower and said only about 20 of the deaths could be definitely attributed to swine flu.
(That map is by date. You can see from day to day confirmed, suspected and negatives cases.)
Governments around the world are hurrying to contain the spread of a new swine flu virus after
outbreaks were reported in Mexico, the US and Canada.
At least 100 people are now suspected to have died of the disease in Mexico.
Use this map to explore the swine flu outbreak in video, audio, pictures and text.
Swine flu outbreak in maps
Fears of a flu pandemic are growing as the number of confirmed cases around the world
continues to rise.
In Mexico - where the outbreak began - there are now 26 confirmed cases. Some reports
say as many as 149 people may have died from swine flu, but WHO officials put the figure
much lower and said only about 20 of the deaths could be definitely attributed to swine flu.
(That map is by date. You can see from day to day confirmed, suspected and negatives cases.)
Yrys
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 430
Europe Urges Citizens to Avoid U.S. and Mexico Travel, New York Times, 27 april
The number of people killed by the swine flu in Mexico has climbed to 149, up from a toll of 103
over the weekend, prompting officials to shut every school in the country and discuss the possibility
of a further shutdown of Mexico City.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 1,600 people in 17 states across Mexico were believed to have
been sickened by the virus. Officials in Mexico City, where the outbreak is centered, had already
canceled hundreds of public events and closed many public venues. They have urged people with
possible symptoms — headache, cough, sore throat, nausea, fever, dizziness — to stay home.
But Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said officials would discuss a further shutdown, which could include
public transportation.
As Mexico struggled to contain its outbreak, the World Health Organization reported that the number
of confirmed cases in the United States had doubled, rising from 20 to 40. Earlier on Monday, the
European Union’s health commissioner on urged Europeans to avoid traveling to the United States
or Mexico if doing so was not essential.
The warning came as health officials in Spain confirmed that a man hospitalized in eastern Spain had
tested positive for swine flu, becoming what appeared to be Europe’s first case of the disease. Health
authorities were also testing 17 other suspected cases across Spain, a major hub for travel between
Mexico and Europe.
Britain and other European Union nations had already issued travel advisories for those traveling
to Mexico, but the European Union’s health commissioner went a step further on Monday in urging
Europeans to avoid nonessential trips. Europeans, she told reporters in Luxembourg, “should avoid
traveling to Mexico or the United States of America unless it is very urgent for them.”
rest of article on link
The number of people killed by the swine flu in Mexico has climbed to 149, up from a toll of 103
over the weekend, prompting officials to shut every school in the country and discuss the possibility
of a further shutdown of Mexico City.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 1,600 people in 17 states across Mexico were believed to have
been sickened by the virus. Officials in Mexico City, where the outbreak is centered, had already
canceled hundreds of public events and closed many public venues. They have urged people with
possible symptoms — headache, cough, sore throat, nausea, fever, dizziness — to stay home.
But Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said officials would discuss a further shutdown, which could include
public transportation.
As Mexico struggled to contain its outbreak, the World Health Organization reported that the number
of confirmed cases in the United States had doubled, rising from 20 to 40. Earlier on Monday, the
European Union’s health commissioner on urged Europeans to avoid traveling to the United States
or Mexico if doing so was not essential.
The warning came as health officials in Spain confirmed that a man hospitalized in eastern Spain had
tested positive for swine flu, becoming what appeared to be Europe’s first case of the disease. Health
authorities were also testing 17 other suspected cases across Spain, a major hub for travel between
Mexico and Europe.
Britain and other European Union nations had already issued travel advisories for those traveling
to Mexico, but the European Union’s health commissioner went a step further on Monday in urging
Europeans to avoid nonessential trips. Europeans, she told reporters in Luxembourg, “should avoid
traveling to Mexico or the United States of America unless it is very urgent for them.”
rest of article on link
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